Edge of the Earth
by nicelynicelyjohnson
Summary: Sequel to It Catches Up With You. The disappearance of Cora Denham was just the beginning. One year on from the Empire State Building incident, the Skull Island adventurers try to rebuild their lives. But, when a face from the past threatens to destroy everything they hold dear, there are some secrets that just can't stay buried.
1. Chapter 1

**NB: If you haven't read the first part of this series,** _ **It Catches Up With You**_ **, I STRONGLY recommend going back and reading that first. This story will deal heavily with events and characters mentioned in the first and generally be a bit confusing if you haven't read part one.**

 **Further author's notes at the end of this chapter.**

* * *

" _There's something that you need to know before we go any further. No - don't go to sleep. Not yet. I know, I know - you're tired. You're hungry. Everything hurts. I know. But I just need you to stay awake for me so I can tell you something very, very important._

 _You don't have to understand. You don't even have to listen all that hard. But you need to be told._

 _All of this? It's not an adventure story. The heroes aren't going to come crashing through that door to save you and make some daring escape. Because life doesn't work like that. Oh they'll come for you. I know they will. But there will be no daring escapes and justice served. Not for me. Not for you. But there will be blood, and death, and there is nothing you can do to stop it, and I will make you watch. Believe me. You are just the beginning._

 _This isn't an adventure story, Miss Denham. But I think you knew that already didn't you?_

 _My God. I hope you did."_

* * *

 _Los Angeles, 1935_

California heat was oppressive in a way that he couldn't ever remember the New York summers being. The constant artificial whir of the ceiling fan above did little to alleviate his discomfort, wherein no sitting position was comfortable, or even sustainable. There was a dryness to the heat, at odds with the perspiration it bought on, leaving him feeling constantly parched, despite the steady supply of drinks he'd fetched for himself.

"You don't have to do that, son." One of the old boys on the board had rumbled good-naturedly to him on one such quest to the studio cafeteria "That's why ya got yourself a secretary."

Yes, the ever industrious Ruth. A woman so utterly impervious to the Hollywood heat that he sometimes wondered if it had been bred into her through generations before, like a prize race horse was bred for speed. California born and raised, he'd never seen her with so much as a hair out of place, let alone break a sweat. The unshakeable Ruth Roberts, whose organisational skills and near-flawless memory made her a far more valuable asset to the movie studio than he'd ever considered himself.

Honestly, he couldn't quite get used to the fact that he had someone now whose _job_ it was to run around after him. As someone who had done all the running (and more besides) for the majority of his working life, he still felt somewhat of an impostor.

He removed his glasses and pinched the sweat from the bridge of his nose. He had a whole heap of memos to get through by the end of the week, but he really wasn't in the mood. Something else had taken up residence in his priorities and was refusing to shift. He glanced down at where the glasses had landed, his vision slightly blurred - he could have sworn it had gotten worse in the last year - on a folded newspaper, creased back on itself to keep one particular piece on top.

 _MISSING: $2,000 Reward._

 _Miss Cora Rose Denham, aged 20._

Underneath was a photograph of a young woman, her dark hair carefully coiffed, teeth meekly exposed in a demure little smile. The picture was over a year old, and taken during the promotional work for the ill-fated _Eighth Wonder of the World_. Even after this long people still talked about it. One studio was even rumoured to be working on a movie based on the story.

There were all the standard details - her hair, eyes and height, as well as where she'd last been seen. The reward was being offered by entrepreneur Theodore Farwell - all reports suggested that her family were desperate to find her after a full week of absence. For the circulation of the news to have reached the opposite coast, they must have been.

He picked the paper up once more, slipping the glasses back onto his nose. In all honesty, he'd read the article so many times now that the words were practically imprinted on his brain, tattooed on the insides of his eyelids every time he blinked. Yet he couldn't stop looking, as if he'd missed some vital detail that would reveal itself on a revisit. As such, it took him several seconds to register the disturbance taking place outside his office door. Voices - raised voices, talking over each other. He recognised one as the always reliable Ruth, but the other was new.

"I need to talk to him." The newcomer demanded.

"Do you have an appointment?" Ruth, trotting out her spiel as always.

The tone grew rapidly more aggravated "Do I _look_ like I have an appointment?"

"You'll have to book an appointment." Ruth replied "He's a very busy man-"

The reply sounded like it came through gritted teeth "I understand, but this is urgent."

"You can come back next week." Ruth explained shortly.

"Next week!" Her voice rose "Next week could be too late!"

"He's busy, I'm sorry-"

"It's about Cora Denham!" The woman blurted out in a rush.

He froze, newspaper clasped in hand.

Ruth fell silent for a moment, before; "Excuse me?"

He must have imagined it, he swore he must have imagined it, until the woman's voice spilled over again - "Tell him that I've come about Cora Denham, I know he'll talk to me about her-"

In a second he was on his feet, at the door, wrenched it open to the hallway outside. Ruth spun round, flushed and guilty looking and for the first time he'd seen it, looking ruffled "Sir, I'm so sorry, she just barged in here, I told her you were busy - do you want me to call security?"

"That really won't be necessary," He waved a hand to silence the fuming secretary and looked at the new arrival, a young, chicly dressed woman. "You know something about Cora Denham?

"I do. At least - I want to." She took a deep breath "I'm her sister." Something dawned in her face. "Are you Preston Howard?"

Preston nodded. "I am."

* * *

 _New York City, three days later_

"Jimmy's takin' his time." Alex Morgan commented from his spot in the corner of the mess. The dirty dish in front of him indicated the end of his breakfast, and now he idled a little, silently bargaining for some more time inside. The morning had dawned with heavy rain, the wind off the river blowing it practically horizontal and rendering all wet weather wear borderline useless. As such, Alex was reluctant to get to work.

"He is out? In this? He is probably drowned." A heavily accented voice called from the galley with a lightness of tone that wasn't entirely appropriate.

Alex glanced over to where Englehorn was sat, reading the newspaper, a cigarette clamped in the side of his mouth, but the captain didn't react. The new chef, a morbidly-humoured Frenchman, had only been with them a few weeks, but already the skipper had grown accustomed to his jokes. He'd also already learnt to ignore them completely.

"Morning all." Joliffe hailed, grimacing at he stepped into the room. For all the chef's jokes, the Brit looked half-drowned himself, sodden from head to foot. "Glorious day." He remarked. He took another step in, shaking his shoulders like a dog and sending drops of water cascading to the floor.

"I JUST mopped!" Came the outraged cry from the galley "You could not have done that outside?"

"Sorry Reynaud." Joliffe replied, brushing off his sleeves and looking nothing of the sort.

Reynaud leant out of the hatch and jabbed a spatula in his direction "If we were in France I could have you shot."

Joliffe pulled a face "God you talk some absolute rubbish - _if we were in France_ \- if we were in France you'd have been arrested ten seconds out of the harbour."

Alex looked at the new chef "Is that true?" he asked with a grin.

Reynaud rolled his eyes "He exaggerates." He scoffed, disappearing back into the hatch "It would have been five."

Changing the subject, Alex turned back to Joliffe "Did you see Jimmy on your way here? I dunno if he came back last night."

"Jim? No. Though I was so busy trying not to get a face full of rain, Garbo herself could've wandered by in her altogether and I'd be none the wiser." He laughed "I wouldn't worry. Wherever he is, in this weather he won't dally back."

"Any news on Cora?" Alex added quietly.

Joliffe's smile faded "I'm keeping an eye and an ear out lad, but nothing yet. Spoke to the lads on _The Raleigh_ , but they don't know much more than we do."

"The papers are full of it." Englehorn finally deigned to speak. "Two thousand dollars for any information."

"She'll turn up." Joliffe said firmly "Girls like her usually do." He glanced down at the newspaper "Although. Two thousand's not bad. Do you reckon she could come here first when she turns up, and then we take her back and claim the money?"

"This isn't like her." Alex replied sternly. "She's not that kind of person, she doesn't just… disappear." He turned back to the table and fell into a thoughtful silence.

"By the way Captain…" Joliffe reached into his coat and drew out a slightly damp envelope "I was handed this on my way back." He held it out to Englehorn "S'for you."

Englehorn took the envelope suspiciously "Who gave it to you?"

"Dunno. Never saw his face." Joliffe wiggled out of his raincoat and slung it over the end of the table "Short. Wiry bloke. Ran right into me, but I could've knocked him down with a finger. Said 'this is for your German captain'." He ruffled his fingers through his sodden hair, sending droplets flying "Well, he didn't say _German_ , as such, but…"

"Hun? Fritz? Bosche scum?" Englehorn guessed wryly, holding the envelope to the light.

Joliffe shrugged "Along those lines. The sentiment's the same."

"You still get all of that?" Reynaud asked, raising his thick eyebrows.

"Every so often. People remember." Grabbing one of the kitchen knives, Englehorn sliced open the envelope "And with Herr Hitler's antics in Europe, it is only going to get worse." He was suddenly still and silent as he scanned the letter inside.

"Cap'n?" Joliffe looked up sharply "Who's it from?"

Englehorn glanced up and Alex was startled to see the look on the man's face - even by his standards it was grim. "It's Rivers." He muttered darkly, with a degree of effort.

Joliffe struck the tabletop and swore quietly, before both of them fell silent.

Alex looked between the two men, and an equally perplexed Reynaud "Who's Rivers?"

"Ned Rivers." Joliffe grumbled with disgust "That old devil. I thought he was dead." His gaze flickered to Alex "We knew him. Once. Thought he was a good man." He sniffed, shaking his head "Went and proved us wrong, didn't he." He turned back to Englehorn "What does he want this time?"

"To meet." Englehorn said, re-reading the note "He wants to meet. The both of us, tonight. He says he has important matters to discuss."

Joliffe shook his head again, with no trace of his usual jovial humour "Rivers. Christ. What's it been, five years?"

"Let us hope that time has improved him." Englehorn replied. The envelope tipped in his hand and a small, slim package fell onto the tabletop, wrapped in a torn sheet of newspaper.

All four of them stared warily at it. For something so small it lay too ominously between them.

Tensed, Englehorn tentatively nudged it with the edge of the envelope until the paper shifted to reveal its contents. A lock of chestnut brown hair, tied with a scrap of twine. It was then they noticed that the page chosen as wrapping featured a missing person's report.

 _Missing. Cora R Denham. 20. Manhattan._

Alex's heart sank as he reached forward, fingers closing on the hair. The men looked to him as he slowly picked up the lock and held it to the light.

"Well?" Englehorn snapped.

Alex nodded "Yeah." He said grimly "Yeah, that's hers. It's her. Whoever this Rivers guy is - he's got her."

* * *

 **And we're back, because apparently I don't know when to let this lie!**

 **So a few things:**

 **1\. This story will be up quicker than** _**It Catches Up With You.**_ **That I'm pretty set on (in before 'lol nicely it literally took you nearly 7 years to upload ICUWY who are you trying to kid')**

 **2\. This story is set to be noticeably darker in tone and subject matter than ICUWY. Please consider this an advance warning for the following: verbal and physical abuse, mentions of PTSD, depictions of violence/gore, derogatory language and general sustained threat.**


	2. Chapter 2

"I still think we should call the cops." Alex protested that evening, leaning against one of the corridor walls, arms folded, in an attempt to look far more relaxed than he felt. The rain had finally eased into a cool, wet evening. Below deck, the rain water trodden up and down each hallway added to the lingering odour of damp.

Despite the invitation only extending to Englehorn and Joliffe, the first mate had convinced Englehorn to let Alex come along too. Jimmy still hadn't made an appearance, and Joliffe was secretly glad of it. He wanted to take someone the girl was close to, but Jimmy's relationship with her could make him a volatile element. Especially if Rivers was up to his old tricks...

"Too risky." Englehorn called from his room. There was a distinctive click of a gun being loaded, ready for the holster strapped around his shoulder.

"Bloody useless lot anyway." Joliffe remarked, checking the bullets in his own revolver. He tucked the weapon safely away and turned to Alex. "Look Alex, about Rivers; he's… he's not exactly the sanest of blokes. If we get the police on him, there's no telling what he'd do to get away. And if he does have Miss Denham then… I don't think we should take any more risks than we need to."

Alex frowned "You think he'd hurt her?"

Joliffe sighed "I think he'd kill her. If it meant he lived to fight another day. Besides." He muttered "Me, I like to keep out of the copper's way. Between you and me mate, I'm not exactly squeaky clean."

"We keep it brief." Englehorn ordered, as he joined them. "We go in, we find out if he has Denham, we ask him what he wants, we get out."

"He won't have just taken her for fun." Joliffe added, as they headed to the deck. "He'll want something. He was always out to make money, even when I first met him."

"It's nearly nine." Englehorn cut in "We should get going."

They left the ship with no ceremony, Mr Parry in charge by word of mouth. They headed north in silence, towards a set of more isolated warehouses that had been left to decay, and shelter those desperate enough to break in. The low light glinted off the rain slicked roads.

Englehorn fell into step with Alex as Joliffe headed on, address in hand.

"I know Rivers." The captain said quietly "He will say anything, even if it's a lie, to find out information. He will say terrible things about your family, your best friends, whatever you care about the most, he will make up anything to make you bite. So whatever he does Morgan, whatever he may say - do nothing. Say nothing. Any reaction will simply give him ammo to use against you. Do you understand?"

Alex nodded "Aye Cap'n."

"This is the place." Joliffe had halted next to a set of doors. The painted number was worn and faded, only just legible. "Ready?"

Englehorn nodded. "He tries anything, you run. Take Morgan and run. Understand?"

"Got it."

"Good. Let's go." Englehorn said. He turned from the others and pushed at the heavy metal door, which swung inwards before them.

* * *

"So." Preston gestured to the chair before the desk and hastily attempted a quick tidy up "You're Sadie Denham." If she hadn't said as much, he never would have guessed. The elder sister had taken after her mother in looks, sandy haired and grey eyed to her sister's dark.

She'd pulled off her hat and was now clutching it in front of her, worrying the brim with anxious fingers. "I'm so sorry to barge in on you like this Mr Howard - and at work - but I didn't know where else to find you, and when I heard you were in town I couldn't help but wonder…" Sadie Denham looked apologetic. "I just needed to talk to someone about this." She flopped quickly and tiredly into the chair.

"I understand." Preston replied. "I've heard a little about you." He explained "From Cora. It's nice to finally meet, but I just wish it were under better circumstances."

"Don't we all." She replied softly. She spotted the discarded newspaper. "You know then?"

He sighed "I'm very sorry."

"I'm leaving for New York tonight. I'm going home for my mother's sake." She gave a half-smile "She pretends to be so strong, but I know this is breaking her heart."

He tried not to grimace "No offence Miss Denham, but your mother doesn't seem the most… maternal woman?"

"None taken." Sadie replied, shifting her gaze to the window behind him. "I think a lot of it is an act. When my father died she really wore her heart on her sleeve and afterwards she found it changed people's opinion of her. My mother likes control. If she can control this act, she can control how people react to her. Does that make sense?"

Preston nodded. "She can hide her weaknesses that way. People can't use them against her if they don't know what they are."

"Exactly." She paused. "I don't suppose… You haven't heard anything?"

"Not a word." he replied "Not since I left New York in '33."

She shrugged. "I thought as much. It was a long shot, I guess."

"But I can keep my ears open." Preston replied quickly "And if I hear anything I can call."

"That's kind of you." Sadie replied, still looking distracted "And… what I really wanted to ask, was… do you think that she might have run away?"

Preston surveyed her critically "Do you?"

After a long pause, Sadie Denham shook her head "No."

"I agree. I think if she was going to, she'd've told you."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that. If she'd run at least I'd feel a little better." Sadie's shoulders slumped in defeat "My little sister's a hot head, but she's no fool." She fell silent, absently staring at her lap, and Preston felt a twinge of sympathy.

"I wish I could help you more." He confessed.

She smiled, but it was that eerie, society-ready smile that all the Denham women seemed to have somewhere in their repertoire. "It's alright." She said "Honestly, just having some of my theories confirmed is enough." She got to her feet, drawing herself straight up and respectable. "Thank you for seeing me, Mr Howard. I know you're a busy man, so I do appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Can I walk you out?"

"No, no need." She held up a hand. "I know the way. But thank you. Thank you."

He heard her mutter a quick, sheepish apology to Ruth on her way out, and then she was gone. He flopped back into the chair, mulling over the previous conversation in his head. The newspaper caught his eye once more, the picture of Cora now looking almost judgemental. "What?" He snapped under his breath to the picture, which stared back silently. "I don't know where you are. What was I supposed to say to her?"

He grabbed the next memo and began to read, following the line of writing with his pen. It was only after another minute he realised this tactic wasn't helping, and he had in fact read the same line three times without understanding a word of it. And he was still thinking about Sadie Denham's face when she'd asked if he'd heard anything, that very faintest of hopes that were immediately dashed.

"You idiot." He informed himself, before throwing the pen back down and hurrying from the office.

"Mr Howard-" Ruth began from her tiny desk.

"I'll be right back." He called over his shoulder, heading outside into the heat at a slightly awkward run. He looked around in a panic, and spotted the young woman heading back towards the main street. "Wait. Miss Denham, wait!"

She turned, shielding her eyes against the sun. "Mr Howard?"

He caught his breath as he reached her "If you'll allow me - let me call on you early next week. I'll come back to New York and help your search."

She looked stunned "That's very kind, but I can't ask you to do that-"

"Please, Cora was my friend. I want to help."

"No, you have so much work to do-"

"And a whole lot of vacation time to take." He cut in, finally silencing her. "The studio won't fall apart if I take some time off. You go. I'll catch up in a couple of days and call on you. Then we can do a little detective work and see what can be done."

"My little sister said you were a good man. Thank you Mr Howard." Fishing a scrap of paper from her handbag, she quickly scrawled an address. "My parent's place. I suppose I'll see you soon." She finally smiled a genuine smile as she turned to leave, and it was only when a car honked from him to move that Preston realised he was still stood grinning like a fool in the middle of the studio driveway.

* * *

The warehouse was empty, bar for a strange little gathering at the far end, illuminated by one of the ceiling lamps. Their footsteps echoed hollowly off the walls as they walked in.

Three heavy-set men lined the back wall, undoubtedly hired muscle. A green-topped cards table had been placed before them, bearing a single lit candle and surrounded by three straight backed chairs, all in dark wood. One of the seats was taken by a man in a well cut grey suit, a fine leather glove on each hand, who upon spotting them, rose to his feet, spreading his arms in welcome.

"That's him." Joliffe whispered.

Rivers was nothing like Alex had expected. He was of average height, though built very slenderly and with the slightly hollow appearance of someone who had lost a lot of weight very quickly and was struggling to regain it. His light brown hair was scattered with grey. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and his wide mouth fell easily into a grin.

"Captain Englehorn!" He declared. Like Joliffe, he spoke with a British accent, though slightly more refined "And Arthur Joliffe. My God, it's been far too long." He gestured to the table and a carefully stacked deck of playing cards "Care for a hand?"

Englehorn sneered "I'm not really in the mood."

Rivers pulled a face "A pity. I'm in a generous mood, Captain. Had myself a little run of luck and I am _flush_ with good fortune. Please, take a seat." He caught sight of Alex. "And you've bought along a guest. I don't know you, do I?" He stepped forward, one hand offered.

Alex looked at the hand and glanced aside to Englehorn, who gave the smallest of nods. Reassured, Alex took Rivers' hand to shake, the leather cold against his grip "Alex Morgan."

Rivers grinned, showing an awful lot of teeth "Alex. Good strong name. Short for Alexander, I imagine?"

"Yeah." Rivers still hadn't dropped his hand.

Rivers pointed "It's Greek, isn't it? _Alexander_. Like Alexander the Great. Hell of a chap. Comes from the Greek term you know, _to defend_. Do you think of yourself like that Alex? A defender?"

"Put him down, Rivers." Englehorn growled, taking a chair. "I'll play your wretched cards if it shuts you up."

"Oh, you don't change do you? I'm so glad." Rivers said fondly, releasing Alex's hand and sitting back down. He took up the cards and shuffled them rapidly. "Here are the facts for you." He pulled a card from the deck and tossed it across the table. The queen of diamonds "I have Carl Denham's niece. The pretty little socialite, although with the things she called me..." he chuckled "I fear she may be ruined a bit by outside influences. Spoiled goods, know what I mean?"

"Get to the point Ned, for God's sake." Joliffe cut in.

" _Point being_ I'll get a pretty price. Lot of people who'd do a lot for her." The king of diamonds joined the first "Like that fat idiot of a stepfather, for example" The jack of hearts. "Surprising, really."

Englehorn smirked, picking up the cards "These are quite the theatrics." He declared, waving them in the air.

"I have a flair for the dramatic." Rivers confessed "You know that, don't you? You remember." Once again he selected the queen of diamonds and held it tantalisingly close to the candle flame. The edge of the card began to blacken and curl "So what I'm trying to say is that I would hate for some… unhappy accident, to befall the socialite." Quick as a flash the card was drawn away, Rivers blowing out the damage already done and wafting away the acrid, scorched smell.

Englehorn chuckled. "You think I give a damn about that little-" And then he used that German word again which Alex kept meaning to look up. "Girls like her are everywhere. Good riddance to her."

"Not even for two grand?"

Englehorn said nothing and Rivers nodded, smiling.

"Good man. You know I can get more. I know I can get more. I've always known. The world doesn't care about men like us, outcasts. Traitors. We were not born to be blessed. So we made our own luck and it's got us this far." He leant across the table, the king of diamonds clasped between two fingers, "I can take Farwell for everything he's got, Friedrich. Thousands, tens of thousands. But I can't do it alone. You help me and we get away with a lot more than two grand, we get away with _everything_."

Englehorn shook his head "It won't work."

"Why?" Rivers demanded, his eyes alight.

He chuckled "Because I know you. You have absolutely no intention of sharing a cent of that money. You'll be gone and I'll be left with the awkward questions."

The smile dropped a little "You know what's at stake here. We get the money and the girl walks free without a scratch on her."

"I _don't care_ about the girl."

"You know, I thought you might say that." Rivers said "Actually I knew you'd say it. Because I know you too, Friedrich. I know how you tick, I know what pushes you." He waved a hand aimlessly and one of the heavies slipped a photograph into it. Like a man playing his ace, Rivers slid it across the table top "So I've got the boy too."

Still stunned at the conversation taking place, Alex looked over Englehorn's shoulder. The person in the photo was slumped over in a chair, his hands bound behind him and blood smeared across his face from his nose and lip. A bruise had already bloomed across one cheekbone. He'd taken a beating, but even so, the boy still glared, animalistic in his rage at the picture taker, his eyes flint-sharp and furious.

It was a terrifyingly familiar sight. It was Jimmy.


	3. Chapter 3

**So guess which idiot accidentally deleted two entire chapters of this. Me, it was me, I'm the idiot. Anyway, here's chapter three (FINALLY!)**

* * *

"Where is he Rivers." The lazy, calculated tone had vanished from Englehorn's voice completely. The games were over. Quick as a flash, he snatched out and grabbed Rivers by the front of his collar, scattering the cards onto the floor.

The thugs moved to separate them, but Rivers merely waved them away. He grinned again, that overly-toothy smile. "I'd love to tell you Friedrich, but I'm afraid I really don't know. See when I left this evening to come and have our little heart to heart, the two of them were moved. For their own safety, you understand. And mine." He glanced down at the grip at his throat. "Now, er, if you'd be so kind as to pop me back down?"

Sneering with disgust, Englehorn relented, throwing the man back into his seat "What do you actually want from me?"

Rivers made a great show of fixing his tie before he replied, his leather clad fingers moving frustratingly slowly. Eventually he glanced up at them all "I want Skull Island." he said softly. He smiled again at their reactions "Ah yes... you know exactly what I mean." He got to his feet and began to pace around the table "Oh Captain, it really is tragic, you tried so hard to keep your name out of the papers, away from the press, keep living this little nomadic life you've formed for yourself. Or was it formed for you? I forget. I digress." He shook his head, pantomiming great sorrow as he leant on the back of Englehorn's chair "You tried to disappear Friedrich, but you failed. And now you're the only man who can lead me to Skull Island."

"You want the island so badly, call Carl Denham." Joliffe spat "He had the wretched map that started all this to begin with. He'll get you there."

"Carl Denham?" A peal of laughter. "Carl Denham's a fool. A washed up fool that couldn't find north if his life depended on it. You honestly think someone like him could guide someone like me back to the _last blank space on the map?_ " He dragged out the last part of the sentence, confirming in his way that the option of Carl had been fully considered. "No. I need a captain."

"And what," Englehorn growled "Could you possibly want with that hell hole?"

"The Natural History Museum fought tooth and nail - if you'll pardon the expression - for the bones of that beast. _Kong_. The great, late, eighth wonder of the world. I want to know what they'd pay for another. A female of the species, perhaps."

"The monster was the last of its kind," Joliffe chimed in "you won't find another."

Unabashed, Rivers continued "Then I'll find the bones. The academics have their imaginations alight, they'll take anything for gospel if it's big enough."

Englehorn frowned "You really believe that?"

Rivers' reply was instant; " _Yes._ "

Silence fell over the little group again, and nobody moved from their stations.

"It's getting late." Rivers said finally. He picked up the photo of Jimmy and moved it aside "My guests will be wondering where I am. So we'll bring this to a conclusion." He sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "From where I see it Friedrich, you have two options. You help me, or you don't. And before you say anything-" He raised his voice "I have my conditions when it comes to the boy and the girl. Option one: You say no, you won't help me, we go our separate ways, we never see each other again, and I'll let one of them go free. Just the one, mind. Not both. And the fun part is, you get to decide who walks away, and who I keep. Deliver one, doom the other. Say yes however, and we do the job, money and infamy for all of us, and everyone gets out alive."

Rivers got back to his feet and looked at the three of them. Englehorn's expression had gotten progressively darker. Joliffe's look was one of utter loathing, but after everything they had gone through, Rivers had expected that. And as for the kid they'd bought with them… Rivers glanced at Alex. The boy was pale, but resolute, his mouth a thin, steady line. Englehorn had trained him well. He was practically unreadable.

"Think about it. Mull it over, don't rush into anything. But just bear in mind that I can't accept any responsibility to what happens to those two." Rivers paused and flipped the photograph back towards him to study the subject "He really quite adores her, you know. Would die for her, so claims. Sickening, really." Flanked by the thugs, he sauntered off towards another door at the back of the warehouse, his steps echoing again off the walls. "You've got twenty four hours. Meet back here at nine thirty. Clock's ticking. Start thinking." And then he was gone.

With an ear-splitting scrape, Englehorn drove his chair back and stood. "Let's get out of here." He growled, already heading for the exit. Joliffe quickly followed, and Alex had to break into a run to catch up.

"So, uh…" He chuckled nervously to cover how disturbed he felt and nodded towards the departing Englehorn "His first name is _Friedrich.._."

"Really, _really_ , not the time mate." Joliffe snapped, and stormed off back towards the ship.

* * *

Deep down, Sadie was glad to be back in New York. Los Angeles had always felt alien to her, she cared very little for the beach and ocean and practically everyone she met seemed to be in movies. Including Alfred, who'd had grand plans of being a director that idled along in the background as he went to parties and drank and schmoozed and she followed along, his pretty, silent, smiling fiancee. No, they'd moved there for him and she had supposed she could scratch herself out a life there of her own.

She glanced up as the train slowed, feeling the resistance of the brakes against their forward motion. Finally. Despite the circumstances, she felt that little spark of recognition in her heart now that she was home.

She reached for her other hand and slowly worked the ring off her finger. That hunk of rock had come in serious use for deflecting unwanted attention on the journey. It was funny, she'd mused, how much more willing a man was to leave a lady be if she'd been claimed by someone else. No, keeping the ring had been a wise move. She supposed she could've wrenched it off her hand six months ago and flung it at Alfred's stupid red face, but histrionics like that had never come naturally to her.

Discovering another woman in Alfred's bed had not been a total shock. The man was no actor, and he'd seemed distracted for a long time before that revelation. She'd been petite and pretty and far more glamorous than Sadie had ever been. Really, it was the _cliche_ of it all that had irked Sadie the most, not the infidelity. _It's not what you think_ , he'd said. In return she could only ask what on earth he supposed she thought. So it had been back to the boarding house, and if she'd milked the sympathy from her friends and neighbours a little more than she'd felt justified too, well who could blame her?

Besides, nobody died.

She'd kept the ring, not because of any emotional attachment, but because Alfred had gone to great lengths to remind her of how very expensive it was. Jewels were small and easy to transport and had great value for how little space they took up. Sadie's mother had a fine collection of gems, and she was beginning to understand why.

She checked the fastening on her suitcase before moving from the compartment and wondered how her mother would react upon seeing her. Eleanor had not taken the broken engagement well, and Sadie had been very glad indeed that there were several states between them when the news broke. There had been letters of course, countless letters and hysterical late night phone calls (hysterical on her mother's part, that is. As for Sadie she was more surprised at how calm she felt about the whole thing), for several weeks after the event, seemingly endless lectures about The Ways of Men, and The Tolerance of Wives, and If She Could Just Give Him Another Chance…

But Sadie was tired. She was tired of smiling and fawning and pretending that everything was fine when it really, really wasn't. So home it was. For her mother, and especially for Cora. Broken engagement or no, Sadie would have always come home for that.

She stepped down from the train and for a moment, relished the hustle and bustle of the station. She was back in her big, beautiful, dirty city. Turning back to her case, that sat still in the doorway of the train, she heaved at the handle and suddenly realised it was a lot heavier than she remembered.

Still, she was on her own now, these things had to be done by herself.

"Can I help you at all?"

She looked up to see that a pleasant-faced gentleman in his thirties had approached. Briefly wishing she'd kept the ring on, she shook her head. "No. Thank you. I'm fine." She pulled again and the case shifted an inch, if that.

"No, you're not." The man's tone was kind instead of mocking, and he reached over, grasping the case and bringing it safely to the ground. "There."

"Thank you."

"You on your own?" His accent suggested he wasn't native New York, maybe more Massachusetts way. He had an open, easy manner about him, but Sadie wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"No." She replied, unconvincingly.

He smiled, but again it was kind. "It's alright. I know what you're thinking. I just wanted to help."

Sadie closed her hand around the case's handle "I appreciate the concern, but I don't need any help."

"Let me at least get you a cab?"

It seemed easier to just relent. "Very well." Ignoring his outstretched hand, she finally managed to get her case off the ground and set off at a brisk walk "Thank you, Mr…"

"Lake. Harry Lake." He fell into step with her, hand casually hooked over his jacket pocket.

"Sadie Denham." She returned.

"Denham?" Harry replied, startled "Like that kid who went missing?"

Her pace slowed "That's my sister."

Harry looked sheepish "Oh, I'm sorry."

The case hit the floor again with a thud. Sadie sighed "It's actually why I'm here. She's been missing for far too long. My mother's worried sick, and I felt useless where I was, so…" She gestured to the interior of the station "I came home." To her horror, she felt tears begin to pick at the corners of her eyes. "I'm really worried." She mumbled, looking downwards.

"I'm sorry, I really shouldn't have said..." Harry lowered his voice in sympathy. He glanced around at the crowds before gently touching her arm "Come on, let's get you home."

Feeling utterly wretched, Sadie allowed him to guide her through the station to the street. A cab was quickly found, and Harry jumped in too, helping to secure the suitcase and promising to cover the fare. As they travelled, Sadie found herself telling him everything - finding out the news through the papers of all things, the days that had passed and were still passing, the upping of the reward... The tears encroached again, and Harry quickly supplied a handkerchief.

"She's really just a kid. She acts like she's all grown up and knows everything, but deep down she's still just a kid." She glanced out of the window at the streets slipping by. "When our Pa died, she took it hard. Ever since then she's acted like this independent, doesn't need anyone. But this last year I thought things were changing. She met this boy who she really likes, and I think it made her kind of reassess everything. But I know she wouldn't have run. Wherever she is, someone's taken her."

"What kind of monster would do something like that?" Harry muttered darkly. "And why?"

"That's what I've been asking myself." Sadie admitted, "Over and over. But the answer never comes, and there's been no news."

Harry fell silent in thought. "Like she vanished into thin air." He mused finally.

"I guess so." Sadie replied, the cab turning down a familiar street "This is me." She looked at Harry. "Thanks again. For the cab and the sympathy."

Harry gazed at her, face full of concern "Yeah well. Least I could do. I really hope you find her."

She sniffed "Oh, your handkerchief…"

He waved it away. "Keep it. You need it more than I do."

Granting him a small smile, Sadie turned and opened the door.

"Hey."

She glanced back. Harry's expression had changed to one of inspiration as he hung out the car door.

"Listen, I've got some friends in the police, big names. If you like I can do a little sleuthing around, see if there's anything they're not telling you?"

Thrown, she blinked at him "You'd do that? Isn't it dangerous?"

"Dangerous times, Miss Denham." Harry replied "Sometimes the unorthodox choices are the only ones we got left." He raised his voice as he reached to pull the door shut. "I'll see what I can do!"

Sadie remained on the sidewalk as the cab pulled away, Harry waving a farewell out of the window. Perhaps there was more hope than she'd previously thought.


	4. Chapter 4

_Southampton, England, 1921_

Why did he always end up drinking whiskey? Arthur knew that whiskey was never a good idea, scrambling his brain and his insides, making every hiccup taste like bile. Unlike wine, whiskey never had that pleasantly amnesic effect on him either, blurring every drop of blood, every louse, every fly, and every dead body in the bottom of a trench in his memory.

On reflection, he should have gone for wine.

He knocked back the tumbler, the liquid burning the back of his throat and grimaced as he half-dropped the container back onto the table, wincing at a too-loud gale of laughter from the corner of the pub. He'd be sacked tomorrow if he turned up with a hangover, but he didn't care. Since getting back from Belgium with nothing but a measly wage, a ringing in his ears and a head full of nightmares, it was difficult to care about much.

"Joliffe? That you son?"

He looked up with unsteady eyes as the room wobbled before him. There was a body - an upright body, that made a nice change - stood in front of him, blocking him, he wished it would move. He narrowed his eyes, tried to pick out any kind of trait he knew. A voice, an accent like his. Thinning hair, red-rimmed little eyes, weasel eyes as their unkinder mates had put it - Danny. Danny Whitlock. Private Whitlock, that was it.

"Danny bloody Whitlock." He grunted with half a smile. "What you up to these days?"

Grinning, Danny slid into the empty chair opposite, a mug of beer clutched in one hand. "I'm a sailor, mate. Master of land and sea, that's me, just got the air to add to my collection now."

"Oh yeah?" He inspected his empty glass and found it disappointing. "Doing what?"

"Live animal capture and transport." Danny replied with relish. "To zoos, museums, private collections. You meet some right eccentric old bastards I'll tell you that, and it's never dull." His face suddenly lit up "Ow's Sarah? Nice girl she was, I always liked her..."

Even now, two years later there was still a sharp ache in his gut at the sound of her name "Dead mate. She's dead."

His face dropped "Jesus. Not the war?"

"Spanish flu. Of all the damn things."

"Oh Christ." Danny sat back in his chair, suddenly useless "I'm sorry."

Joliffe dipped his head, voice thick "I've got to get out of his godforsaken place or I'm gonna go mad."

"Y'know I might be able to help you there. We're in need of good men." He rapped his knuckles on the table "Come on, come and talk to the skipper."

That was the last thing he needed - drunk and teary and overall completely lacking "I can't Danny, I'm halfway gone as it is."

But Danny wouldn't relent, already back on his feet "He won't care. He don't care, that's the best thing about him. Come on." He nudged his shoulder "Come _on_."

Reluctant, and with every muscle feeling twice as heavy as usual, Joliffe wrenched himself to his feet and shuffled after his old army pal across the pub. He lurched to the right, knocking against someone who shoved him back, cursing as half a pint of tepid beer slopped over their shoes. He followed the disappearing Danny across to a long wooden table, a motley selection of men sat round it, and their captain...

He wasn't not sat _alone_ as such, but he was definitely away from the main glut of the crew, all clumped together, rowdily discussing something.

"Captain?" Danny started, and the man looked up, immediately spotting Joliffe.

They looked at each other and it was like a freezing bucket of water had been chucked over Joliffe, that shock of recognition, because _he knew this man._ He was cleaner, and older than that last time they met, and Joliffe was covered in beer this time, not blood. But it didn't matter. He looked at the German and suddenly was back in Belgium, stuck in a shell hole in the middle of No Man's Land and the soldier in front of him could kill him as quick as blinking.

But he didn't. He hadn't. And now here they were. Alive. Both alive. He knew he must have looked completely mad, stood frozen and staring like an idiot.

Danny looked at him, concerned "Arthur? You alright son?"

"Um. Yeah. Fine." He scratched his head with a forced air of nonchalance.

Danny was still watching him with a degree of worry, but he ploughed on regardless "Arthur, this is Captain Englehorn. Cap'n, this is me old army mate Arthur Joliffe - I reckon he'd do well on board, he's-"

"We've met before." Joliffe mumbled unsteadily, still trying to process that fact alone.

Danny stared at him "Really?" he looked between them like a tennis umpire "Where? When?"

But it was the captain who spoke, the German. "Belgium." He stated, in heavily accented English "1915."

* * *

"So what's our move?" Joliffe's first words to Englehorn the morning after their encounter with Rivers.

Englehorn glanced up from beneath his eyebrows, aware that Reynaud was nearby and listening to every word they said over the noise of his washing up.

"Jimmy. Obviously." Englehorn sat back in his seat, folding his arms across his chest defensively. "There's no question. Then we leave here and I never have to see Rivers' pathetic little face again." With a noise of effort, he clambered to his feet and made his way outside, Joliffe in hot pursuit.

"And that's it?" The British man called after him "We just… accept that - the only way it can be."

"What are you talking about Joliffe?"

Joliffe cast a furtive look back over his shoulder and reached for the cigarettes in his pocket "Look - you know he'll kill her. He's done worse. You know he has." Joliffe shrugged as he fumbled with the match "It's not in Rivers' nature to let things go, especially after what happened in Rotterdam."

Englehorn regarded the first mate with a degree of disdain "You seem to think that matters to me."

"It should. She is _a kid._ " Joliffe snapped, sharply exhaling smoke. "She's twenty years old for Christ's sake, she's done _nothing_. If we walk away from this, we condemn her."

Englehorn pushed past him once again "This conversation is over."

"He'll never forgive you if she dies." Joliffe's voice cut through the morning air.

Englehorn stopped, but did not turn, practically feeling the first mate's steely gaze boring into his back.

"Jimmy, I mean," Joliffe added "Alex too, to an extent, but Jimmy won't forget it. He'll resent you, the rest of his life." He paused, a loaded pause You know what that does to a man. It rots him. Poisons him from the core."

"You'd put us all in danger for _one girl_?" He growled, heading for the wheelhouse, dismissing Parry from inside it with a wave his hand.

Feet pounding on the stairs behind him "What," Joliffe swung into the room after him, the cigarette chucked into the water and abandoned "Like we've never done that before?" He lowered his voice, glaring at the captain "I wouldn't lie down and take Ned Rivers' conditions as gospel, that's for certain."

Englehorn's fist tightened at his side "You are out of line."

"I'm being honest." Joliffe snapped. "If I'm not honest, then what am I?" He pushed on, unable to stop himself talking "Jimmy, I can understand that, you feel responsible for him, but let's talk about the fact that Alex looks _frighteningly_ how Dieter would have looked at that age if he'd li-" Too quick for him to react, Joliffe suddenly felt a hand around his throat and was slammed back against the wall. Black spots danced in his vision, his whole skull seemed to radiate pain as he gasped for air.

"If you dare," Englehorn growled, tone and face dark with fury "Mention that name again, I will tear you apart." He dropped the first mate, spluttering and coughing, onto the floor and stepped past him. "He won't kill her." Englehorn insisted "He's not an idiot. He's got too much to lose if he does. In time that reward will turn into a price on his head. I won't deliberately put my crew in danger again."

* * *

"There's a young man here for you." There was a note of hope in Eleanor's voice which made Sadie want to roll her eyes. No news of her youngest daughter, and still Eleanor was on the lookout for suitors for the elder.

But Sadie wasn't fooled. The spark her mother had always possessed had vanished. She was reserved, quiet, less showy than she once had been. Her mother on a low light, getting dimmer by the day.

Still, she felt relieved to hear of Preston's arrival, and headed into the living room. "Mr How-" She stopped abruptly as the man stood to greet her "Mr _Lake_!"

"Expecting someone else?" Harry asked with a grin, looking very at home in their living room, impeccably dressed as usual as he bounced to his feet.

Sadie smiled back. "Yes." She replied obstinately. "I am. Now be off with you, this house has a strict one bachelor limit." Laughing, she gestured for him to sit, and took the chair opposite. "I wasn't expecting to see you this soon."

"I've been making movements since our little talk yesterday." Harry began "Time's not on our side, so I wanted to get on with things."

"Any news?" Sadie leant forward hopefully.

"Maybe." He glanced quickly at the door and echoed her stance "I know this guy, got back in contact with him after we spoke last. He's a private detective, worked some very high profile cases. Who he doesn't know in the criminal underground just isn't worth knowing."

Sadie frowned "Can we trust him?"

"With my life." Harry said vehemently. "So I talked to him last night…"

There was a tentative knock at the living room door and it creaked open.

"Mrs Layton?" Sadie jumped back to her feet, feeling somehow like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't have.

"Please Miss," The housekeeper began "A Mr Howard to see you?"

"Wonderful." Sadie clapped her hands "Perfect timing, bring him through." She looked back at a bemused Harry. "This is who I was expecting. I think you two should meet, he's a friend of my sister's - he wants to help too."

"Wonderful." Lake echoed, his smile a little fixed.

There was a short exchange in the hallway, and Preston appeared in the doorway, Layton retreating.

"Miss Denham." The start of a smile crossed his face, but it dropped upon spotting Harry. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you had company."

"Not at all, this is serendipitous to say the least. Come in." She hopped to her feet and gestured between them "This is Harry Lake, Mr Lake, this is Preston Howard."

"You're really gathering forces, aren't you?" Harry remarked with a grin, reaching forward a hand. "Good to meet you Preston."

"And you." Preston flinched a little at Harry's surprisingly strong grip, but didn't comment upon it.

"I'm glad you're both here." Sadie continued, after they'd retaken their seats. "It saves explaining everything twice." She bought them up to speed with the progress, or rather lack of it, in the current investigation, and how she knew each of the men. Once that was covered, talk moved to the future - what the next move could be.

Sadie stood up and paced back and forth "We all know different people." She thought aloud "They'll know people. Someone, somewhere must know something."

"There're the Driscoll's, I guess," Preston suggested "Ann and Cora were friends once."

Sadie shook her head. "My mother spoke to Jack Driscoll this morning, he hasn't heard anything."

He sighed "It's a long shot, but have you thought at all about Carl?"

"No chance of that." She replied with a grimace, "None of us have heard a word since he left. If he was involved, we'd certainly know by now."

The trio fell into thoughtful silence once more. The clock behind them ticked obnoxiously.

"There's the boy - you said there was a boy." Harry mused.

"Jimmy." Preston replied, nodding.

Harry looked between them "Would he know anything?"

"He would _never_ do anything to harm her." Preston said fiercely.

Harry sat back, blinking. "I never suggested it. I'm just _saying_ he mighta been the last person to see her..."

"He'd be a good place to start." Sadie agreed. "Except I know nothing about him - where he lives, I don't even know his last name..."

"I know where to find him." Preston admitted after a tense pause.

Harry clapped his hands together "Fantastic - where?"

Preston glanced at the ground "I know where." Providing information would mean providing a solid link back to Englehorn and crew - an act he knew would do him no favours.

Harry sneered "What - you're not gonna tell us?"

"I'll talk to him." Preston insisted, still avoiding anyone's eye.

"Will you?" Harry scoffed "Whose side exactly are you on my friend?"

Preston glared at him "I'm not your _friend_ -"

"Harry." Sadie cut in before things could escalate further. "I'm sure Mr Howard has his reasons. If he says he knows where this boy can be found, and will find out what he knows…" she glanced back at Preston "Then I believe him."

Preston frowned in bemusement "You do?"

"Yes. The only reason I haven't done so myself is because I know nothing - Cora left me nothing to work with." She took a moment to collect herself before continuing; "We all have things we can be working on. I'll talk to my mother again about Mr Driscoll. Mr Howard can speak to Jimmy. Mr Lake, you can talk to your detective friend. Let's get to work and see what we can find out."

"I'll get on it." Harry stood and fiddled absently with his cufflinks. "Are the both of you busy for the rest of today?"

Sadie exchanged a quick look with Preston "No. Why?"

"I've already arranged to see my friend this afternoon. If he has anything for me, we can act on it, but we'll need to move fast." Harry looked at them with a severity that Sadie hadn't seen on him before "Warm clothes, something you can run in. Flat shoes. Be ready."

Now Preston stood, to look this Harry character in the eye "Is this safe, Mr Lake?"

"No." Harry admitted. "But time is ticking on, and it might be the only chance we get."

"I'm in." Sadie said.

Preston looked at her "Miss Denham…"

"I've sat around and waited for too long." She cut in, still looking at Harry. "It's time I actually did something."

"Can we really trust him?" Preston muttered as he headed for the front door moments later.

"I'm not sure I have much of a choice." Sadie admitted. Harry stayed behind in the living room, collecting himself to leave "But you'll come with me? If he does call? I'm getting her back," she added in a rush "Whatever it takes, whatever I have to do. I'm getting her back."

"I'll be there." He hesitated, then added; "Jimmy wouldn't hurt her. I know you don't believe me, but I know him, and I know how much he cares about her - he's the last person you should suspect. Miss Denham?" He added, when Sadie didn't reply.

She wasn't looking at him, not really, and there was something disconnected about her eyes. When she finally did reply, it was polite, but cool. "Thank you for your support, Mr Howard. But I think it's time you left."

He looked, frightened, back at the living room door and back at her "Sadie?"

"Good day." She said meaningfully, and gestured to the door.

"He doesn't like me, does he?" Harry remarked from behind her as Preston disappeared.

Saide flinched in surprise, turning to see Harry leaning in the living room doorway "What makes you say that?"

Harry smiled, shrugged theatrically "Call it a hunch. I've met people like him before - it's understandable in troubled times like this, to suspect anyone who offers you a kindness. ' _There are daggers in men's smiles'_."

She stared at him "Shakespeare."

"The very same." Harry straightened up and wandered down the hall to join her. "Plus I think he feels a little threatened by me."

"Threatened?" Sadie chuckled "How in the world…"

He leant in close, like an old gossip "If you ask me, I think he likes you."

She stepped back and pulled a face "Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not! And who can blame him? You're a very winning young lady. I feel very lucky to have run into you at all." He smiled again at her, meeting her gaze and holding it for a long moment "I'd best be going. Miss Denham," His gaze flickered to the stairs "Mrs Farwell."

"A pleasure to meet you, Mr Lake." Eleanor purred from her spot on the stairs as he departed with a cheerful wave. She turned to Sadie as the door clicked closed. "Well he's very handsome."

Sadie threw up her hands, exasperated and a little embarrassed that her mother had witnessed who knew how much of that exchange "Mother!"

Eleanor held up her hands defensively "I notice these things. So well dressed. An odd choice for this time of year, but those gloves were the most divine leather…"

* * *

He didn't realise Joliffe was approaching him until he slapped a hand to his shoulder and whispered hoarsely; "Come with me. Right now."

"What's wrong?" Englehorn knew to keep his voice low as Joliffe herded him away from the others.

"I didn't want to say this in front of Alex." Joliffe took a deep breath and leant on the nearest door frame. He suddenly looked very, very tired. "They've found a body in the water." He explained, keeping his gaze fixed on the ground "A girl. She's dead." he wrenched his eyeline up to look, almost accusingly, at Englehorn.

"Denham?" He whispered.

"I don't know. But they're bringing her out now." His jaw tightened "It could be her."

Without another word, Englehorn turned and headed for the deck, Joliffe close behind.

"There." The first mate stated, pointing further down the docks. The two men silently departed the ship and walked briskly, trying not to break into any sign of a run as they neared the gathering crowd.

"Stand back fellas." A police officer was saying, attempting to herd the gathered observers away "Let's have some space, come on now."

Englehorn elbowed his way to the front of the throng as a burly dock worker clambered up one of the metal ladders set into the edge of the platform. A soaked, unrecognisable bundle was draped over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Water ran off the body in steady rivulets, the entire corpse saturated. This was someone who had been in the river for a considerable amount of time.

The worker set her down, attempting to be gentle, but his grip slipped and the body hit the ground with a thick, wet thud. He straightened up, his build and bulk making the girl look even smaller.

"Who is it?" Englehorn had asked before he even meant to speak, and his own voice sounded foreign to him. "For God's sake, turn her over."

Visibly bracing himself, the cop stepped forward, crouched beside the body, and with one, decisive motion, rolled it over to face the sky.

Relief - cold, morbid, unexpected relief, washed over Englehorn in one fell swoop.

It wasn't Cora Denham. It was too thin, too small, her face too pinched, her clothes poor and patched and the hair plastered to her skull was unmistakably red.

"It's not her." Joliffe's voice beside him cracked, quiet among the murmurs of disgust all around them "It's not her."

The girl's skin was blanched by the water, save for violent blotches of red and pink. Her wrists and hands, exposed to sight, were swollen and covered in scratches, palms cut, nails torn - whoever she was, she'd put up one hell of a fight.

His stomach turned, and he stepped back, forcing himself to breath in and out. In and out. He'd been so _ready_ , frighteningly ready for it to be Denham. He'd seen drowned men before and had already, unwillingly, crafted the image in his mind of her, dead, bloated and pale and floating face down.

"Poor kid." The dock worker who had retrieved her muttered, shaking his head. "Poor, poor kid. What's that?"

Englehorn looked back in time to follow the man's pointed finger. A glimpse of stark, bright silver inside the girl's threadbare coat.

The cop bent and gently removed the item - it was a pocket watch, far too expensive a thing for a girl this poor to ever have possessed without resorting to theft. He clicked the clasp open.

"It's still working." He said in surprise, looking up at his colleagues. "But the time's wrong - it says nine-thirty."

Englehorn looked sharply at Joliffe, already there. "Nine-thirty." He echoed, and added silently _our deadline_.

"There's something else."

They both looked back as one to see the cop click open a compartment in the back of the watch.

"What is it?" Another cop called over. "A message?"

The first one frowned, bewildered "No. It's… it's a card." He picked it out and held it to the light.

The queen of diamonds, scorched down one side.

This was no accident. It was a message.


	5. Chapter 5

Joliffe said nothing. Instead, he grabbed Englehorn by the shoulder and herded him away, downstream from the gathering crowd around the dead girl, a hubbub of voices still rising.

"Still think he'll let her go? Face it, the next body they fish out of the water is going to be Cora Denham's."

"I won't allow my crew to die over this."

"Somebody has _already_ died over this!" Joliffe cried out, then, grimacing at his volume, added, "We can get them both out. You know we can. You've faced bigger monsters than this and lived to tell the tale, so why not now? Why not this?" He suddenly stopped in his tracks and stared intent at the captain "What happened? What did he say to you? What's Rivers got on you?"

Englehorn finally turned to face him, and Joliffe was startled to see a look on his face that he hadn't seen in months: fear. But before he could reply the sound of rapid approaching footsteps put them both on alert.

"Who was that? In the river?" Preston Howard came stumbling up to them, seemingly from nowhere, panting for breath.

Joliffe stared at him as he leant his hands on his knees in fatigue "Preston?"

Englehorn cut in "We don't know. But somebody wanted us to think it was Cora Denham. What are you doing here?"

Preston straightened up, adjusting his glasses "I'm looking for Jimmy, is he around?"

"Yeah well, that makes one more of us." Joliffe waved vaguely "He's gone."

Preston stared at them "Gone? Gone where?" he watched the two sailors exchange meaningful looks, and his heart swiftly sank.

"It's a long story." Joliffe finally muttered. He cast one final wary look towards the dead girl and the still growing crowd around her. "Come on. It's not safe to talk here." He grabbed Preston by the arm and marched back towards the Venture. "Anyway, I thought you were out west making pictures?"

"Situation changed." Preston replied, stumbling a little to keep up with Joliffe, now chuckling darkly.

"Well this is quite the reunion." Joliffe added airily as they arrived back at the ship, hurrying together down to the mess. "It's been too long…"

"You," Englehorn pointed at him "Have work to do. Take Reynaud."

Joliffe started, a glimpse of fury flashing across his face, then quickly suppressed "You're joking." Then, realising Englehorn wasn't joking, he nodded, slow. "Very well Captain. Oi, Reynaud! Marching orders."

Reynaud grunted in a way that was undeniably Gallic, and followed Joliffe from the room.

Confident they were gone, Englehorn turned to Preston. "I assume you're here about Cora Denham."

Preston looked up, eyes wide "You know where she is?"

"Not quite, but..." He glanced at the door before adding; "I know who has her."

Preston sat down carefully on one of the wooden benches "Who?"

Englehorn followed suit opposite, resting his forehead in his hand "Nobody you know. His name is Rivers. Until yesterday I thought he was dead. The man is a criminal, and if you ask me, completely mad. But he's also dangerous - what makes him dangerous is how intelligent he is."

"Credit where credit's due?" Preston said with a shrug.

"You could say that." Englehorn replied, sitting back with a sigh. "Rivers has an insane plan. He intends to use both Cora Denham and Jimmy as blackmail material to get me to take him to Skull Island."

"What the hell does he want from there?"

"Prizes. Remains." The captain frowned "Bones from the ape's species. He thinks he can make a profit selling them to academics."

"He probably could." Preston mused "Even in California there were people obsessed with the legend. Does he know about the dinosaurs?"

Englehorn nodded "Probably. And the insects. And the wall. He's done his research. I think our mutual friend Carl Denham probably had a hand in that."

"And he's got Cora and Jimmy." Preston concluded with a groan "Are they alive?"

"I don't know. He said that if I refused to help him, I could take one of them from him. God knows what he'd do with the other. But it wouldn't be anything pleasant."

"God," Preston muttered "How do you decide?"

Englehorn smirked "Joliffe thinks I'm an unfeeling bastard who'd condemn Cora Denham to save my own skin. He wants to go in all guns blazing and pull off some daring rescue. Surprisingly American of him. But I've been thinking, ever since I found out what Rivers wanted... and I think I can save them both." He gestured back towards the stairs. "Like I said - I know who has her. I know where he's going to be, and when he'll be there. If you help me, we might be able to pull this off."

"We can't go back to that island." Preston said forcefully. "We can't." After a second, he added in a quieter tone; "I sometimes wonder why we survived. Out of all of them. Why us?"

"Three hours from now," Englehorn replied "Maybe you'll find out."

* * *

Sadie had agonised for an uncharacteristically long time over her wardrobe that afternoon. The chic outfits she'd picked up in Los Angeles didn't exactly scream practicality, and the last thing she wanted was for her choice in clothing to sabotage their chances. Eventually she raided her winter closet for something suitable and sat, fully dressed and ready to go, in the same living room she had plotted in only a few hours earlier. She sat in silence, knees drawn together, worrying the edges of an envelope. Inside was a letter to her stepfather Theo (someone far less likely to panic than her mother) with an explanation of everything. She knew that her nerves were probably unnecessary, but the notion of going missing too was not an appealing one.

To disappear completely...

The sound of the telephone almost made her jump out of her skin, and she flung herself into the hallway to grab it before anyone else.

"Yes? I mean - hello - I mean, Mr Lake?"

"Miss Denham?" He sounded out of breath.

"Yes, it's me." She replied, glancing back over her shoulder "Any leads?"

"Yeah, a big one." Harry said "And we've got to act now." He rattled off an address that Sadie tried to commit to memory. Down near the docks, she realised. "How soon can you be there?" He demanded.

"I don't know - twenty minutes? She guessed "Wait, what about Preston?"

"I've called him. He's meeting us there. It's now or never Sadie!"

She took a deep breath and tucked the envelope behind the telephone "Then it's now. I'll see you there Harry."

* * *

"Give us an hour." Englehorn instructed Alex,handing him a folded slip of paper. "Then if we're not back you run as fast as you can to the police - give them this address. The man they want is _Ned Rivers_ \- although he might be going under another name. One hour, Mr Morgan. Don't leave it any longer. Don't second guess. One hour."

"Got it." Alex replied. They had gathered on the dockside in the dimming darkness, the team ready to set out. One by one the trio of Joliffe, Preston and Englehorn disembarked. Englehorn was the last to leave. He turned back and gave Alex one final stare "One hour. Remember."

"Yes sir." Alex replied, and watched them walk away, trying to ignore the gnawing sense of foreboding their retreating backs elicited.

"We get in, we get Jimmy, as the deal." Englehorn reeled off the reminder as they paced "Then we wait for Rivers to leave with Denham, we follow him, we get him somewhere in those warehouses where it'll be quiet."

"I know where." Joliffe responded, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I know those buildings. They're practically falling apart. There's long stretches you don't see a soul."

"We take him down and we get Denham. Then if Rivers is still in one piece, you two," He pointed to Joliffe and Preston "Take him, and Denham, to the police." He sighed "That's Rivers' downfall. He likes his rules and deals. And he won't have been in those warehouses long, he won't know all the routes. He'll have tried to familiarise himself with too much in too short a time. This is how we get him."

They walked on in silence through the docks, led by Englehorn, back to the warehouse. This time the door was open, a weak stream of light issuing from inside. It was silent.

Englehorn looked at Preston "Last chance to turn back."

Preston smirked crookedly "Thanks, but I meant it. I'm seeing this through."

Englehorn peered through the half open door, scanning the interior for any sign of Rivers. The space was empty, starkly lit, but completely abandoned. A rickety set of metal stairs lined the far wall, leading up to a platform and the door of a long abandoned foreman's office.

"No sign of any of them." He muttered to the others. He glanced back outside and his eyes narrowed in the direction of an approaching figure, a young woman with her shoulders hunched. "Who's that?"

Preston looked round "That's Sadie Denham - Cora's older sister."

" _That's_ the sister?" Joliffe gave a low whistle, earning himself an elbow in the ribs from Preston as he stepped forward.

"I came as soon as I could." Sadie said breathlessly, flushed with the walk. She glanced at the others, "What's happening?"

Preston gestured vaguely "Sadie Denham - Captain Englehorn and Mr Joliffe. Fellas - Sadie Denham. What are you doing here?" He asked in a low, hushed tone.

Sadie pulled her coat tightly around her "What are you talking about? Harry called and said to come-"

"Wait-" Preston stammered "Harry?"

"Yes - Preston, he said he spoke to you…"

Preston shook his head "I've been here since I left you, Sadie. If _Harry Lake_ ever called me at all, I never got it."

She frowned "Then why would he say-"

"Shh!" Englehorn's command cut through their conversation. "Someone's there." Tentatively, he pushed the door the rest of the way open to show a lone figure staggering across the empty room. It was a girl.

She looked a wreck. A large chunk of her matted and tangled hair had been hacked from one side, making her whole face look lopsided. The skin on her face and arms was smeared with dirt, oil and blood, her hands covered in cuts and scratches, her bottom lip split in a scabbed mess and dried blood underneath her nose. Her clothes were torn, one entire sleeve hanging from her shoulder with no more than threads. She walked unsteadily, her arms stretched out in front of her, fingers splayed like she thought she might fall.

Shuffling like a sleepwalker, Cora Denham slowly turned to face them,

Blind to the others, Sadie stepped forward. "Oh, Cora." She breathed.

The girl stared blankly at the newcomers, blinking "Sadie?" Her voice was cracked and hoarse. She licked her lips and tried again "Sadie?"

"Cora." Sadie gasped, pelting across the warehouse and pulling her sister into her arms, then men following with hushed calls to say alert "Thank God. Thank God. I've got you. It's going to be alright."

But instead of returning the embrace, Cora struggled in Sadie's grip, frantic - "No. No. You have to get out of here," She mumbled "It's a trap." She shook her head violently, pulling and pushing her sister in turns "It's a trap, we gotta go, we gotta go now, we're all gonna die-"

The door slammed shut behind them. At the same time, high above them, the battered office door squeaked open, and a familiar figure stepped out onto the platform, heels clacking on the metal floor. Well dressed. Calm faced. Wearing fine leather gloves.

"Harry!" Sadie called out in relief, at the very same time Captain Englehorn pointed an accusatory finger at the man and snarled " _You!_ "


	6. Chapter 6

p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Harry smiled "Me." He replied, leaning casually on the barrier "Well, well, well, look at all this - quite the guestlist for my little gathering" His Midwestern drawl had vanished completely, replaced by a clipped, British accent./spanstrong id="docs-internal-guid-11e461ee-7fff-bd5b-5c18-d5807d1952c7" style="font-weight: normal;"/strong/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sadie stopped and stared at him, her hands still gripping tightly to Cora "Harry? What are you doing, what's going on?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Harry?" Sadie turned to see one of the sailors, Joliffe she thought, looking at her confused "Who's Harry? His name is/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" Rivers/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Preston turned back to the door and gave it a great, but ineffective, shove. "It's locked." He hissed to the others, looking wildly around the room./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I've made my choice Rivers." Englehorn yelled up to him, stepping forward. "You'll get nothing from me, but I'll play by your rules. I've chosen. I'm taking the boy."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Rivers' smile faded and he looked almost disappointed "I expected better of you, you know. I hoped that the temptation, the notion of adventure, might draw you back to Skull Island. One final blaze of glory - God knows we're both getting on."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Where's the boy?" Englehorn barked./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""He's on his way." Rivers replied airily. "Wouldn't want him to miss this. And, erm…" He glanced at Joliffe, whose hand was on his belt holster "I'd leave that if I were you, Arthur. You're not the steadiest shot at the best of times, especially when you're put under pressure." He turned back to the office door, rapping his knuckles against the old wood three times. It opened again and six men exited, all bearing new looking tommy guns. Englehorn recognised three of them as Rivers' hired muscle, as they flanked the man in question, training their aim on the gathered figures below./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Thinking quickly, Englehorn grabbed his own revolver and aimed it at Rivers' forehead./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He barely flinched "I really wouldn't do that." He said with a sigh "I know you're keen on taking me down, but even if this is some noble sacrifice, you've got-" He gestured to Preston and the two women. "All that to take into consideration, along with you know, all the other blood already on your hands."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"At this, the metal doors behind them swung open again. They turned to run, but were faced with another six heavily armed men, who herded them at gunpoint back into the centre of the room and fanned out around them in a well-rehearsed fence. There was no escape./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Gritting his teeth, Englehorn went to slip the revolver back into its holster. A good half an hour had already passed - it would be a while longer still until Alex's signal to fetch the police. Before he could complete the action, one of Rivers' thugs stepped forward, snatching the revolver from his hand./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""And you Joliffe," Rivers remarked, observing the action "Hand it over."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Slowly, and very reluctantly, Joliffe passed his own weapon to another of the gunmen./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Why are you doing this?" Sadie snapped, feeling Cora sway with exhaustion in her arms./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Because I always get what I want. And if it isn't given to me freely, then I have to find a way to take it." Rivers wandered along the metal walkway "Persuasion, if you will. Compromise. The foundations of society." He drummed his fingers on the loose railing, sending echoing rattles along the entire length "So this is how it's going to work, ladies and gentlemen. In…" He checked his watch "four minutes and forty seconds, one of my men is going to walk through that door and tell me that I have full control of the Venture. See, ten minutes after you gentlemen left there this evening, a small task force boarded the vessel, attacked your crew and took full control. If he doesn't arrive in the next four minutes and twenty, then fair play, you've won Captain, I bring you the boy and you take the girl and you leave." He inclined his head "But - he will arrive. That's the thing about gambling. The house always wins." He took two playing cards from his pocket and tossed them into the open air. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"As they fluttered to the floor, Englehorn recognised them - the scorched queen of diamonds, /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"somehow/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" retrieved from the corpse at the docks, and the jack of hearts, smeared with a red, viscous liquid. He laughed half-heartedly "You know that's cheating."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""CHEATING?" Rivers' cool facade suddenly dropped, his face flush with rage. "/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Cheating/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" was backing out at the final moment of the one deal I asked you to carry out, the /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"one thing. Cheating /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"was leaving me to die in Rotterdam. /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Cheating/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" was watching those bastards /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"maim/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" me with no sign of regret, or remorse, and spending the next five years acting like I never existed." He calmed a little, breathing heavily through flared nostrils "So don't talk to me about /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"cheating/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;", Friedrich. I've played by the rules all my life, so I think I deserve this." He turned angrily back to his watch "Three minutes, fifty seconds!"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Okay - you win this one." Preston interjected "You have what you want, you have the captain, now let the ladies go. They're not involved in this."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""But they brighten up the place so prettily." Rivers smiled at Sadie, who returned it with a look of deep loathing. "Besides, they'll come in useful one way or another. You just wait and see."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""And still no sign of the boy." Englehorn muttered "The elements of your master plan are already slipping, Ned. Still, you never were one for big schemes."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Rivers chuckled "You called me theatrical, once." He continued, ignoring Joliffe's utterance of /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""My god, does he ever shut up?/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"" "I'm the great director here, and I call the shots on when our players enter the scene," He gestured to Preston "Like Mr Howard, for example. I hoped he'd hit his cue and he did so quite wonderfully. And so he plays his part. Entrances and exits, Friedrich, they're the very fabric of a play." He smiled and looked back at Englehorn "Two minutes. You know, I can't guarantee the safety of your crew with my men. I mean, if they've chosen to fight back - my boys are a rough crowd. Blood will have, inevitably, been spilt. And I wonder if young Alexander has lived up to his name - the defender…"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Alex?" Cora whimpered "Oh God no, Alex…"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sadie stroked her hair and shushed her like she was a kid again. "It'll be okay." She whispered "We will get out of this, I swear..."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Sixty seconds." Rivers announced. "The moment of truth. Exciting, isn't it? Can you feel that? Heart pounding, reminding you that you're still alive, after all you've gone through? God, what a feeling."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Look, if you go to that island, you won't come back!" Joliffe cried desperately./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Why shouldn't I, Arthur?" Rivers replied coolly. "You did. Thirty seconds."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It's suicide!" Joliffe retorted, his voice cracking. "Nothing on earth is worth it!"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You don't see the world like me," Rivers declared "I see opportunity where you only see death. Is that one of those terrible after effects of the war I've read about? The ones they used to throw men into asylums for? Still do, so I hear."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Joliffe glowered, but said nothing./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Back to the watch. "Ten seconds. Nine. Eight. It'll be that door there people. Five. Four. Three. Two. One!" The final number echoed off the walls, as, grinning maniacally, Rivers fixed his gaze on the door./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"What they were waiting for, Sadie wasn't sure. A knock? A gunshot? Maybe the man would just open the door and walk in. But as they all stared in that direction, she became aware that nothing was happening. No man. No signal./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Nothing./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Nothing/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He'd lost. Rivers had gambled and lost./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Huh." Rivers huffed, sounding slightly thrown. "Well, that… that's disappointing. Still, I've one one hell of a time putting this all together. It's been thrilling, hasn't it?" he laughed humorlessly. "I've got a real kick out of it."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I will find you." Englehorn said, in a cold, measured tone "I will kill you. Now. /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Where. Is. Jimmy?/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Rivers gripped the railing, breathing hard "No." He said, tone wavering slightly "No, this isn't how it's-"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"And the door swung open./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"A small, unremarkable looking man stepped inside. "It's done." He grunted, smirking to reveal dirty, cracked teeth./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You're late." The relief was clear in Rivers' tone "I was worried."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The man shrugged easily "Sorry boss. They put up more of a fight than we expected. But it's done. The ship's yours."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""It'll never be yours." Englehorn snarled./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Rivers rolled his eyes "Temporarily mine. Serving a purpose." He hooted with relieved laughter "Look at that. House wins! Oh, and Willis?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The man glanced up "Yeah boss?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Almost lazily, Rivers took a revolver from his own pocket and shot the man through the head. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Willis' head snapped backwards, his body crumpling like a puppet with cut strings into a bloody mess on the floor./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Sadie let out a yelp of horror, grabbing Cora and pressing her little sister's face into her shoulder to shield her from the sight. The blood eked out along the floor and she stepped back nervously./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I hate lateness." Rivers remarked, replacing the revolver. He nodded to his men on the ground. "Grab them. Take them back to the ship. We sail tonight."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""You bastard." Joliffe spat "You BASTARD."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Shut him up." Rivers ordered, in a tone more suited to someone bothered by an errant fly./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"With a sickening thud, one of the thugs drove the butt of his gun across the back of Joliffe's head. The man collapsed, unconscious, and was flung over the shoulder of one of the bigger men./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Do something." Preston whispered to Englehorn./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"The captain gestured helplessly "And what, exactly? I didn't expect the small army."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Move fast." Rivers continued to the goons. "Anyone asks about this one-" He took the chance to slap the unconscious Joliffe upside the head "He's on shore leave and blind drunk. The rest of you…" He looked at the captives "Would do well to keep quiet. I need some of you, but some of you I can afford to lose if you decide to sing. I'll leave it up to you to figure out who is who."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Come on." The second in command of Rivers' band dug his gun into Preston's side "Get moving."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Another moved to Sadie/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" and attempted to prise Cora away from her./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Walk separate. Let her go."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""NO!" Sadie yelled, fixing the man with a fiery glare "I stay with her." She changed tack "Kid's dead on her feet. /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"And/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;" a girl. She's no threat to you."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"He scoffed "Fine. But if she falls, we drag her."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Fine/spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"." Sadie replied, tightening the arm around Cora's shoulders. Together they were pushed out into the gathering darkness, back down the narrow alleys of the warehouses./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Gathering her sister closer, Sadie lowered her head. "Cory" she began "Are you hurt?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Not too bad…" The girl whispered. "I'm so tired, Sadie."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"br /spanspan style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I know. I know." Sadie rubbed Cora's back in a comforting fashion. She suddenly thought of something "Jimmy - is he alive?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""I think so. Last time I saw him-" She stumbled a little, and Sadie hooked a hand under her arm, hauling her back up./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Come on kiddo." She murmured soothingly. "Not far now." She looked ahead at the leaders of the group. "Harry. Rivers. Whoever you are. Let us go."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Can't do that Sadie." Rivers commented airily. "You're still very useful to me."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Please," she continued "Let me take her home, she needs help, she's hurt…"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Rivers didn't even turn around "You'll get the chance to patch her up on board."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Let them go, for God's sake!" Preston snapped, and was rewarded with a violent jab in the back from one of the guns./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"They all stopped "You're going to want to keep it down there Preston, if you want to survive the night." Rivers took out his revolver again and rested it menacingly under Preston's jaw. "I'll tell you a secret - you're one of my expendables, so I'd suggest being very careful and very, very polite to me."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Harry." Sadie said warningly./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Harry Lake." River practically purred "I still can't believe you fell for that." He stepped back from Preston and turned to Sadie, chucking a finger under her chin "It's Ned, sweetheart, though I think by the end of all this, you're going to be calling me all sorts of things."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Yeah I can definitely think of one or two things I'm gonna call you…" She muttered darkly./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Let's keep moving." Rivers declared, and the group walked on. /span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Preston dropped into step with Sadie. "I'll get you out of here," He whispered "Whatever it takes."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""Well you make sure you don't get yourself killed in the process." Sadie replied "Everything I've seen so far I wouldn't put it past him."/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Cora blinked blearily up at both of them "So... what are you guys doing back here?"/span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"Preston looked back and met Sadie's eye. Honestly, he had no answer. In the space of only a few hours, everything had fallen spectacularly apart./span/p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" /p  
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;""What do you think, silly?" Sadie replied, trying to sound light and jovial. "We came to rescue you."/span/p 


	7. Chapter 7

Somehow they'd managed to get back on board without arousing much suspicion, each of the captives escorted the final stretch by one of Rivers' men, a gun concealed behind each of their backs. To the uninformed, The Venture looked almost abandoned. One man stood up on the first level, watching them, but it was nobody Englehorn knew, and he nodded in recognition to Rivers. Preston was immediately hustled inside, Joliffe carried after them with little care or gentleness.

Rivers beckoned to one of his men "Are the crew all secure?"

"Yes sir."

"Excellent. Mr Taylor, take Miss Denham and her sister to one of the passenger cabins. Put two men on the door and bring them anything they need. The gentlemen can join their crew. We sail tonight."

Englehorn watched as the two women were herded away, the elder Denham girl clinging onto Cora like her grip had been soldered on. As he went to move, Rivers stopped him, a palm to his chest.

"Ah-ah-ah. Not yet."

He resisted to urge to roll his eyes. "What. You've won. What more do you want from me?"

"I'm a man of my word, Friedrich." Rivers replied. "And there's the little matter of the boy. "I told you you'd get him back," He glanced upwards. "Didn't I?"

Heart heavy, Englehorn followed his gaze. There, faint against the darkening sky, was the outline of a body slung untidily into the crow's nest. It wasn't moving.

"What have you done to him?"

"Don't make such a fuss, he's still alive." Rivers scoffed, "Your final task tonight - get him down. Up you go." he added. "I won't stop you."

Englehorn shook his head "But you'll shoot me down like a sitting duck halfway up."

"Here? With all these witnesses?" Rivers sneered "I'd be mad to. Up." When Englehorn didn't move, Rivers pulled the revolver from his jacket and primed it with a click. "Or maybe I really am mad. I'll let you find out for yourself. _Up._ "

* * *

"There." Tucking in the end of the bandage, Sadie stepped back from her sister. The cramped cabin they'd been shoved into was far from ideal, and only added to the growing sense of entrapment that had been nagging at Sadie's mind. A mountain-like man had been stationed just outside the door, who refused to answer any questions she had with more than a scowl. She'd made her demands from Rivers' thugs, and begrudgingly been provided with a very basic medical kit and a chipped basin of water. Sadie had immediately set to patching up a still dazed Cora, washing her wounds, and wrapping the rough bandages she'd been given around her forearms like white vambraces. There was little Sadie could do, but her token effort to tend to Cora seemed to revive her a little.

"Am I going to die?" She joked, granting a ghost of her old smile.

"Don't be stupid." Sadie replied, cuffing her every so lightly on the shoulder. "You're fine. We're gonna be just fine."

"You don't know that." Cora mumbled.

"You should be the one telling me it's all going to be okay." Sadie said, ignoring her little sister. She got up and set the basin of red-tinged water on the other side of the cabin. "You've done all this before."

Cora absently ran her fingertips over her injured mouth "I was a passenger that time round, not a prisoner."

"Is that so?" Sadie perched back on the bunk and brushed Cora's uneven hair out of her face. "The way you tell the story, you'd think Uncle Carl practically dragged you on board." Her smile faltered, "What happened, Cory? How did they get you?"

Cora's mouth twitched downwards at the memory "I was walking home." She began, staring out of the grimy little window. "From Violet's, I'd been there all afternoon. They were waiting for me. I think they'd been waiting a while. Three of 'em. Big men."

"Oh, Cora." Sadie breathed, pulling her into a hug.

"And they all got in front of me, and started asking me questions, and I kept saying 'I don't know, I don't know, let me through'." She took her right arm demonstratively "And then one got my arm, and I started to yell, and then they injected me with something and it knocked me out. When I woke up… I dunno where I was. It was dark though, and the air was damp. I tried to move. But they'd tied me to this chair, and my whole arm ached where they'd drugged me."

"Did they hit you?" Sadie asked, fearfully nodding towards her sister's split lip.

Cora nodded. "Yeah. I told them exactly what I thought of them, and they didn't take it so well." She leaned heavily against Sadie's shoulder and continued; "There were no windows, so I couldn't tell how long I was there. But after a while, maybe a few days, I don't know, there was this huge noise outside and they bought Jimmy in. He put up one hell of a fight, but they injected him with the same thing and he just fell straight down." She shook her head "You should never have come, Sadie. The whole time it was a trap. The main guy - Rivers - he used to say all this stuff about how he was counting on someone trying to rescue me. It was all part of his plan. And now it's all happened, just as he wanted. We're done for, we're all doomed-"

Sadie flinched, grabbing Cora firmly by the shoulders "You listen to me, Cora Rose Denham." She said in a low voice. "We are _not_ doomed, so enough of that. This is not over, you understand? We are getting out of here. _I_ will get us out of here, if it's the last thing I ever do."

* * *

If the climb up to the crows nest hadn't been hard enough, the climb back down was even worse. Jimmy, battered and bloody, was a dead weight across Englehorn's shoulders, and the one hand he could afford to keep on the ladder felt fumbling and useless. Twice he nearly fell, his stomach lurching at the notion of dropping Jimmy so many feet to the deck below, but he made it, waves of relief washing over him.

If Cora Denham had been in a bad state, it was nothing compared to Jimmy. His face was a collage of cuts and bruises, with a bad swelling around his eye, hair matted with blood from a nasty looking gash.

Staggering a little under the burden, Englehorn turned back to Rivers. "He's hurt, I need medical supplies."

He sneered "It's funny that you think I care about that."

"He's going to die if we do nothing!"

"That boy was bait, Friedrich." The charming facade had fallen completely away, and Englehorn saw the look of pure resentment in Rivers' eyes as he turned to leave. "His well-being is no longer my concern."

"Please-"

Rivers stopped in his tracks. "Excuse me?" He murmured, incredulous with delight.

Englehorn grimaced. "Please, Ned. See? This is what it's come to. Me begging scum like you."

Rivers looked back at him, to Jimmy and chuckled humorlessly "Very well." he turned to another goon. "Take them to the brig. And get them a med kit. You're right," He added to Englehorn "People like him are so much more useful alive."

* * *

"It's the captain! He's got Jim!"

There was a scuffle of activity from within the cages and Englehorn looked around as he was shoved along the walkway to see the entire crew captured, staring at him. There were one or two relieved grins to see him in one piece.

In the end cage, Alex straightened up from where he'd been checking on Joliffe, now slowly coming around and groaning like a bear with a hangover. The boy looked shaken, with a grubby rag clamped to a bloody nose, but otherwise well. "I'm sorry Captain, we couldn't-"

"It's not your fault." Englehorn snapped as he was unceremoniously shoved into the cage, the medical kit flung in after him like a bag of trash. "Now shut up and help me."

Parry hastily made his way over, clearing a space for the unconscious Jimmy and helping to set him down carefully.

"What happened?" Englehorn asked quietly, tearing the tattered fabric away from the worst of the wounds.

Alex sighed angrily "They had us on lockdown pretty quickly. I hid in the engine room, thought I could take them by surprise." He shook his head. "But they knew to look for me. Near tore the place apart tracking me down. I tried to fight back and-" He pointed to his battered face. "Went real well, as you can see."

"Is anyone else hurt?"

"Nah." Alex removed the rag and inspected the stain before replacing it over his nose "When everyone saw what happened to me, they knew they weren't kidding around." He frowned "They've got the guns, cap'n. All of them."

He grimaced. "Did anyone get away?"

Alex sniffed, refolding the rag to a clean spot "Just Reynaud."

"Typical bloody Frenchman." Joliffe muttered, cradling his aching head in his hands.

Alex shot him a scowl "He didn't _know._ He went out just after you left, said he wanted cigarettes, said he couldn't wait."

"So our last hope rests with a morbid criminal Frenchman." Joliffe groaned as the ship's engines kicked into life beneath them. "Well. it was nice knowing you all."

The first day dragged by in a haze of ennui. Despite their best attempts at patching Jimmy up, the boy still looked in a bad way, still unconscious and his pulse faint.

"He's a fighter." Joliffe had tried to sound encouraging. "Always has been. He'll come back." Nevertheless, he reached over again, clasped the boy's wrist and counted under his breath.

Rivers' men would wander in and out at regular intervals - Englehorn noted five unique faces, but who knew how many more were above. With little else to do, snatches of sleep were being attempted, with varying degrees of success. The darkness was a deep blue, casting long shadows across the floor. The engine hummed its ever present note, and somewhere, buried in the straw and locked tantalisingly out of reach, glass clinked against glass. Preston kept waking with a start, realising where he was, and looking like the weight of the entire world resettled on his shoulders.

From where he sat, Englehorn saw Joliffe propped bolt upright. His face was turned in an image of keeping an eye on Jimmy, but Englehorn could see they were glazed over in thought, the man's true attentions miles from there. "You're up late." He said quietly.

Joliffe jumped at the sound "Couldn't sleep. Lot on my mind." He leant his head back against the bars and huffed a sigh. "Check bloody mate. Rivers. He's really thought of everything." Checking to see if any of Rivers' men were nearby, he continued in a whisper "What's our plan?"

"We'll go. We must. With any luck Rivers will be eaten by some beast and that will be the end of it."

Joliffe shook his head slowly "This won't be like the last time. We know what to expect. That's why we lost so many, we weren't ready. We'll be ready this time." They fell into silence again, and Joliffe tugged at a loose thread on his shirt cuff. "When you went back. After the war. Did they tell you you'd get better?"

Englehorn tried not to groan. Joliffe's morbid obsession with the war was not something he shared, but he humoured him anyway. Sometimes just being an ear was enough "Not in so many words."

"I had this doctor. Geordie bloke - from Newcastle, I mean. Bloody incomprehensible accent. But I understood him when he told me that I'd recover. That I'd stop jumping a mile whenever someone slammed a door. Seventeen years later…" He held out a hand, palm down and watched as it trembled ever so slightly. "I'm still a terrible shot."

"And?"

" _And…_ " Joliffe shrugged, all awkward angles. "I… can't be relied on… if it comes to..."

There was a soft thud from over by the stairs and both the men's heads snapped towards it. Nothing. But it had shut Joliffe up.

Englehorn frowned and turned back to the first mate "What's bought this on? Been reading the newspapers?"

"Yeah. It's not just that. 'Been talking to folk. The French crews. The Poles. They're all worried. If there's another war-"

"There _is_ going to be another war." it came out a little louder than intended, and Preston stirred in his unsteady sleep.

"Fine, fine." Joliffe shrugged it off with a hiss, but his expression betrayed his nerves "What are you going to do? Ideal world, we get through this, we come back here, and there's a war. What does that mean for you?"

Englehorn was saved from answering by a small movement from the corner. He was on his feet at once. "Jimmy?"

"Where am… what happened?" His eyes shakily open and looked around stiffly.

Englehorn crouched down next to him "Do you recognise me? Jimmy, do you know who I am?"

"Captain?"

He could have laughed out loud in relief. "Yes. Welcome back."

"Where's Cora?"

Behind them, Joliffe chuckled quietly in relief "She's safe. Sort of. Safer than you, that's for certain. She's on board with her sister, who, by the way, is _quite_ the looker. Just an observation." He added, seeing Englehorn's unimpressed expression. "We've been taken over, lad. The bloke who took you captive, Rivers, he's taken over the ship and, well…" Joliffe wavered "Looks like we're going back to that bloody island."

* * *

The next day dawned, and Rivers, clearly growing in confidence now his grand plan was progressing, relaxed security measures. _Making them useful_ , he said.

"Get off." Englehorn scoffed, shaking off the thug trying to escort him back to the deck "I know the damn way."

"Temper, temper." The lout replied, shifting the rifle in his hand. He spotted Jimmy's bruised face and smirked. "Off to see that pretty little girlfriend of yours?" He leered "Don't worry - if anything happens to you, I'll make sure she's well looked after…"

Jimmy went to fly at him, but Englehorn caught him by the shoulder "Leave it." he hissed, as the thug cackled.

Jimmy scowled through his injuries as the thug cackled. "I can take him."

Englehorn tightened his grip "Not right now you can't." He lowered his voice "You're no good to her dead." With a shove, he pushed Jimmy towards the remaining steps. Leaving it a cautionary minute, he quickly headed across the ship to his cabin. He tried not to walk too fast, or too purposefully, resisting the urge to run. Look casual. Look calm. He sidled into the room, eyeing the bunk with its concealed compartment underneath. With the coast finally clear, he strode across the room and grabbed the edge. With a deep breath he lifted the bunk - to find it empty. His heart sank. He should have known. "Damn." he muttered, letting the bunk fall back with a clatter.

"Looking for something?" Rivers' tone was sneering and cold behind him. Englehorn glanced back to see him lounging lazily in the doorway, watching. He was dressed again in one of his expensive looking suits, jacket slung casually over his shoulder on two hooked fingers. "I thought you'd check." Rivers remarked, gesturing to the bunk "Did you really think I'd forget?"

Englehorn shook his head ruefully "You've really thought of everything."

"Had an advantage, see." Rivers remarked, all humour fading from his tone. "You're a man of habit. It's your weakness. And I know all of your habits. Experience is a blessing." He jerked his head towards the exterior. "Now piss off."

Hauling himself to his feet, Englehorn reluctantly made to leave, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor as he shoved past the man he hated most in all the world.

At the last second, Rivers' glove-clad hand shot out and grabbed him by the arm. "You know, I never fought in the war." He hissed sharply, teeth bared a little too much for a sane man "Kind of wish I had now. Might have had the chance to shoot you and be rewarded for it."

"True." Englehorn agreed, shaking out his grip "Or I might have shot you first."

Down on the deck another of Rivers' lackeys - a silmy, weedy little man with a power complex - was putting the crew to work. It was becoming more and more apparent that these invaders may have been intimidating, but they were no sailors. That element alone was enough to stoke a little hope in Joliffe's heart.

He was tidying piles of rope when Alex came wandering over. The boy's bloody nose had fully healed, the only trace a small cut bruised violently purple across the bridge.

"How many in all?" He asked, without looking at him. Act cool. Act natural.

"Seventeen." Alex muttered, staring out to sea and moving his lips as little as possible, "Eighteen including the boss. I'd say that was a good thing, technically we outnumber them - but they're all armed to the teeth and they've got a fella twice my size actin' as Rivers' shadow."

Joliffe huffed "This is typical Rivers."

Alex frowned at him, curiosity piqued "You knew him?"

"Aye, I knew him." Joliffe straightened up, keeping his gaze fixed on the deck "We all did. He was part of this crew way back when, but he wasn't exactly pride of the fleet. Lazy. Incredible liar. And always after money. He'd try and get us involved in these schemes - stupid, stupid schemes. Dangerous. More often than not, illegal. And surefire ways to get us all killed. I thought it _had_ got him killed, in the end." He nodded towards the wheelhouse "You know why he wears them gloves? He's got _holes_. One through each hand."

Alex frowned "Like what, Jesus or somethin'?"

Joliffe looked surprised, before barking a tired laugh "Yeah, like Jesus bloody Christ. Nah. The last time I saw Ned Rivers he was about to get his just deserts from a criminal gang in Rotterdam. Creative bunch they were, when it came to revenge. Used to drive nails through people before they killed them. Torture them. Started with the hands and feet and worked their way in." his expression darkened. "Though it turns out now that's as far as they ever got."

Alex recoiled a little, careless facade slipping "And you _left_ him there?"

Joliffe grunted "I had to, Alex. We'd have all been killed too otherwise. As it were, we barely escaped with our lives. Besides. After the hell he dragged us through, he was dead to me already." He looked back at Alex, eyes cold. "I'm not giving up. Not now." He looked past Alex then, and the boy turned to see Cora's sister wandering across the deck.

Arms wrapped tightly around her, Sadie made her way to them. Shadows of fatigue ghosted under her eyes, but Joliffe could see she was still alert, gaze flicking about from under her eyelashes.

"'Being watched." Joliffe grumbled vaguely as she joined them, having spotted the most weasle-like of Rivers' minions at the top of the stairs, glaring their way.

"I know." She muttered, moving her lips as little as possible. She looked at the blond boy and gave a small smile "It's been a long time, Alex."

"You're tellin' me." Alex replied "How's Cora?"

"Shaken, but okay - I think." Sadie bit her lip nervously "She said she's going to get some more rest and come up later. Is he still watching?"

Joliffe glanced out the corner of his eye. "No. Speak quickly."

She obliged, blurting out; "Rivers came to see me this morning."

"What for?"

"To talk. As if I was his friend, instead of his hostage." She wrinkled her nose in disgust "He said we got off on the wrong foot, which is putting it extremely lightly. He wants me to have a drink with him. Tonight."

"You're not _going_ are you?" Joliffe asked, incredulous.

"Of course I am." Sadie replied, with a surprisingly steely resolve. "I want to find out what he's got planned. Whatever it takes, I'll do it."

"Well hold that thought." Joliffe responded. "Don't be too hasty. Can you distract him a bit? Give us a diversion?"

She smiled, curious "How long do you need?"

"How long can you give us?"

She paused and the smile grew a little. "Enough."


End file.
